The Hidden World of Limestone

Not too long ago, I visited a place for the first time, and it felt like I had been there before. I had to figure out what was waiting to be learned from Enchanted Rock. Last week I had an entirely different experience: I visited a place that I immediately knew I would return to over and over again.

Indescribable secrets lay hidden in the landscape, and I couldn't  wait to start my own exploration. For almost three years, I have been obsessed with rocks, more specifically, with cracks and crevices and holes and all of the plants and animals that call those places home. At Westcave and Hamilton Pool, two places located a mile apart near South Austin, the terrain couldn't be more intriguing for someone like me, so full of layers. Layers of rocks and layers of plants lead to hiding places galore and endless possibilities for discovery.

Descending along a winding staircase into a canyon, I left behind the dry grassy savanna and entered a water-filled oasis, as if I had fallen down a hole into an entirely different world. Suddenly I was surrounded by dense moss, vibrant lichen, and ancient cypress trees. Before long, our tour group reached an area where the river had eroded layers of soft shale below the harder surface limestone, creating a recess or grotto. A path led around the edges of the rock room where ferns and mosses grew from cracks. Stream water and spring water converged overhead and flowed over the overhang, creating a waterfall and filling the depression with water.

Over time, as stream water continued flowing over the overhang and seeped from areas where it had been stored within the limestone, sheets of mineral deposits grew and enclosed part of the recess, forming a small cave. Over twenty five species have been found living in Westcave, including an endangered harvestmen or daddy long legs called the Bee Creek Cave Harvestmen (Texella reddelli).

Due to the stress of a growing population and other environmental issues, the conservation of Karst features, like caves, springs, and sinkholes, is critical. Research is often conducted at these  sites, and in fact, new caves are being discovered and explored nearby, leading to a deeper understanding of the karst landscape in Central Texas.

This is a place full of stories, and I will be back for more.